


The Flash Of A Camera

by CoffeesForFuckers



Category: New Girl
Genre: Angst, Bonding, Cute, Dorks in Love, Episode 3: Wedding, F/M, Falling In Love, Feelings, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluffy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Holding Hands, Ian Gallagher and Mandy Milkovich are Best Friends, Idiots in Love, In Love, Kiss Kiss Fall in Love, Kissing, Kissing Booths, Love, Male-Female Friendship, Nick realized he loved her since the moment he saw her, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Friendship, Wedding, hand holding, photo booth, s1e3, what if Nick saw how much he liked her that morning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 11:56:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12840648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeesForFuckers/pseuds/CoffeesForFuckers
Summary: My heart was still racing as if I were getting away with something that I shouldn't be.Nick Miller is definitely not in love with the girl that he brought to the wedding of some people he barely remembered the names of to keep himself distracted from his former lover.





	The Flash Of A Camera

Wow.

That’s the only word that my mind would process.

All the stupid shit that she’d been trying on this morning and she waited until now to put that damn dress on.

My god, she looked gorgeous.

“Wow… Jess.” I shake my head and Schmidt makes a usual Schmidt comment.

“Can you guys hurry up!?” Yells Winston.

“Yeah! We’re coming!” Schmidt calls back as he clambers off of Jess’ bed and makes his way to the door, Jess follows and I just follow with my eyes.

“... You, uh… Comin’ buddy?” Jess waves a hand in front of my face, “Nick, are you okay there?” She leans down to face me.

“Yes! Yeah, I’m great, I was just distracted.” I stand and clear my throat, “Let’s get going.” I give a cheesy smile and get blank stares for a second from both Jess and Schmidt, “Well, what are we waiting for?” I press and Schmidt opens the door, letting Jess step out first and catches my arm as I go to walk out.

“Don’t you dare, Nick. No nail, remember.” Schmidt glares deeply at me and I roll my eyes.

“Yes, Schmidt. I know. I would never have sex with Jess anyway, she’d probably make a fucking character and sing a little. Not my thing, Schmidt,  _ not my thing _ .”

“I see the way you’re looking at her.” Is all he says before exiting the room.

I open my mouth to speak, holding a finger up, but it’s too late.

|||

Karoline is seated in the row next to ours. I’m panicking and rambling to Jess about god-knows-what and trying to get her to get up and walk away with me. She keeps making me sit down and pulling at my suit jacket to fix it.

“Hey, hey, she’s coming, Nick. Chill out.” She smacks my cheek gently and tosses an arm over my shoulders.

“Nick! Hi, how are you!?” Karoline smiles.

“Nick, baby, who is this?” Jess grin aggressively.

“Uh, Karoline…” I smiles back at Karoline weakly, “This is my… Girlfriend, Jess.” I poorly introduce.

“Carol?” Jess plays and my eyes nearly roll back into my head.

“Karoline.” I repeat.

“One more time.” She instigates and I bite my lip as not to yell.

“ _ Karoline _ , Jess.” I force out through gritted teeth.

“Oh! Karoline!” She gives another aggressive smile and extends her hand out to Karoline. My former lover takes it and looks Jess over, “Oh, Nicky and I just started dating recently, we’re still in the honeymoon phase!” Jess grabs my arm and pulls it around her shoulders now, holding onto my hand.

My heart is pounding and I can’t tell what the cause is.

“Oh.” Nods Karoline, “Okay. So, Nick. How are you?”

“Oh, he’s just great!” Jess leans over me, dropping my hand and placing her now free one over my chest, laying her head on my shoulder, her hair brushing against my cheek.

“I was asking Nick but alright.” Karoline is pissed. Or jealous. I can’t tell.

“I’m great, Karoline.” I reply.

Jess runs her hand over my cheek and stares down Karoline.

“Okay, well, I should be seated, I’ll see you at some other point tonight.” 

“Okay, bye Karoline.” Jess waves cockily at her as she slides off, glancing back at us once more as Jess was fixing my stubble.

My heart was still racing as if I were getting away with something that I shouldn't be.

|||

After Jess and I had finished eating people were beginning to walk around and mingle away from their tables. Winston had gotten up to go antagonize a child and I was just talking lamely to Jess about unimportant things.

She reaches up and starts touching my face and getting handsy with me, playing with my tie and grooming my hair. Her face was so close to mine that if somebody bumped my chair or if I just made the wrong turn, her and I would be kissing. The thought makes me shiver.

“What the hell are you doing, Jess?” I go to grab her wrist but she shifts out of my reach.

“Nick, she's looking.” Jess grabs my leg and moves more towards me, “Shit, shit, she's coming over.” Jess panics and her lips brush the corner if my mouth and her nose bumps my cheek next to my own.

I swallow hard at the accidental touch as my face gets hot, “Karoline!” I gasp and turn my attention to her.

“Um, Nick, hi.” She waves and I look at Jess for just a moment.

“I can talk.” I mumble and she shrugs, pressing her face into my shoulder, my chin rested on her head, “Hey, are you having a good time?” I smile at her and try to ignore Jess playing with my tie and the buttons on my shirt. This isn't what friends do when playing girlfriend, is it?

“Um, yeah, I am. Are you?” She looks me over and I notice her jaw tense as she spots Jess again.

“I am, Jess and I are really having a good time together.” I say sincerely.

“That's good.” She nods, “How about if we grab a drink together?” 

“Uh! Yeah! Hell yeah, let’s go.” I nod eagerly at her. Jess and I both stand and she holds onto my arm loosely.

“I actually meant just Nick and I.” She glares at Jess who doesn’t even hesitate to sit back down.

“Okay. Come back soon, Honey.” She smiles up at me and I give her a sorry one back. She’s always been so sweet and selfless. This is why I feel bad walking away from her when she clearly wanted me to stay away from Karoline.

“How long have you and Jess been dating?” Is the first thing Karoline says to me as we walk off.

“Um…” Shit, I can’t lie, “Three months!” I guess. She’d been living with us for about that long so that’s the only thing that came to mind.

“Oh, wow… Okay.” She gives me that smile that tells me that it’s not okay with her or that she’s not buying it.

“Well, um… Do you want the same as you used to get?” I change the subject once we get to the bar.

“Of course.”

|||

Somehow Karoline and I end up in a photobooth together when Jess finds us. She starts yelling, rambling about nonsense. I was happy for a second. I even thought about making a move on Karoline just a moment ago. 

She looks between us both, “Nothing happened I swear!” And then Karoline gets up out of the booth, off of me, having been sat halfway onto my lap, “I have a boyfriend!”

And then I hang my head.

My heart isn’t crushed like usual, I’m just hurt that she played this again. 

She storms off and Schmidt blames Jess for making her leave, when all day he’d been pushing her to swoop in and stop this. Jess gets upset and yells at him, she storms off in a rage and Winston shakes his head off at Schmidt’s asshole-ish comment and he leaves too.

I go and get another drink and return to the booth. Schmidt is gone and it’s just me, myself and the thoughts in my head.

Jess tried so hard to make sure I didn’t get hurt again. She just wanted to make sure I was happy, that I was okay. Karoline just wanted to reel me in like a damn trout and once she had me where she wanted me, she was going to just throw me right back off the boat into the water. She used me on and off for six years and even though Jess hadn’t been around for any of it, she still knew how manipulative she was and how easily I fell for her lies and tricks.

She just wanted to protect me and she tried so hard. She made everything look so real even without kissing me. Jess was an amazing liar.

She was so amazing that I forgot it was a lie a couple times today.

She also looked like some kind of goddess with that dress on and the eye makeup she was wearing. 

Shut up, Nick. Stop thinking like that.

She’s your weird roommate that sings to herself (and everybody else around, sadly) and she likes to make really stupid things for no reason and she’s  _ weird _ .

Not girlfriend material.

But why is she so pretty?

And why do I look her over all the time?

Why do I always go to her for anything I need help on?

Why her?

My heart is pounding like I’ve run a mile as I am practically hyperventilating.

I like  _ Jess _ .

And the curtain swings open.

“Nick, hey.” She uses her soft voice. The one that she does when she’s trying to be gentle to a person that could breakdown at any second, “How you doin’ buddy?” She asks and I grab her arm.

“Come in, look at this, it’s my new home.” I gesture, sliding over to make room for her.

Jess smiles and laughs as she sits down, her right leg having to go over my left to fit together on the seat, “Listen, I should let you know that I just had to cut my children underwear off in the bathroom so be careful with your hands and leg movement.” She tells me and I smile genuinely at her.

“Thanks, Jess.” I pat her knee, “And, really, I’m fine.” I glance at her.

“Are you sure? Karoline was really mean for what she did.” Jess puts an arm around my shoulders comfortingly. She shifts her leg in the process, accidentally activating the camera and it takes the first picture.

“I’m sure. It didn’t really rip my heart out this time. It just stung that she’s still playing these stupid games after six years.” I shrug as the machine snaps a second picture, “Plus, I have you.” My eyes get wide at that last part, “And Schmidt and Winston but I just said you because you’re in here with me.” I play it off as me being an idiot as usual and the flash goes off again.

Jess laughs and bumps her head to my shoulder gently, “I’m glad I was here to help.” 

“I’m glad too.” And that’s when she looks at me and I look at her, both of our eyes meeting at once. Hers are so damn blue. Another picture is snapped.

And I brush hair out of her eyes, leaving my hand on her cheek. She was soft.

“Nick?” Her voice comes out gentle again.

I ignore her and without a thought, I kiss her.

My other hand wraps around her, firmly holding her side to keep her from falling from the booth. 

One hand goes to the back of my neck and the other tangles in my hair.

The final flash goes off and I realize what I’m doing. 

My eyes snap open and in a panic I pull away. I immediately stand and start to slide past her, bumbling out an excuse to something that I wasn’t sure of. 

I tumble from the booth and trip over myself. Before Schmidt or Winston can have the chance to grab the photoset I snatch it from the slot and stick it in the inner pocket of my jacket before running off to hide or drink. Probably both.

|||

By the end of the night I was sat outside in the parking lot. There was a half drank beer sat on the ground by me. I couldn’t stop looking at the photoset. Jess looked so beautiful. 

In every picture she was looking at me.

Me.

Nick Miller.

Hell, she was so pretty. It makes no sense. 

I mean, she obviously kissed me back. The picture proved it.

I definitely would keep this forever and pretend that I was just drunk and not thinking and sadly desperate. I mean, she would have to believe this right. I was a lazy alcoholic, we discussed this all the time. 

I was just drunk.

But I’m not. For once I barely drank at all. Well, that is until I did something so stupid that could ruin the best friendship I had ever had. 

Jess and I fought all the time but neither of us were truly mad at each other. 

I’ve made Jess cry and she still always made sure I was okay and she never stayed mad at me, not once have I been able to push her away and I may have finally ruined all of it.

Good job, Miller.

“Hey.” A hand brushes my shoulder and Jess sits down beside me. I put away the pictures quickly but she notices and she rolls her eyes at my attempt to hide them from her, “Nick.” A small grin pulls at the corners of her mouth. She pulls my jacket back and reaches into the pocket and takes it out.

“I’m so sorry, Jess.” I close my eyes and let my stupid turtle-faced frown come across my lips.

“No.” Jess says and shakes her head, I can feel her eyes on me, “I liked it.” She reaches over and grasps my hand in her own, “I would have said so earlier if I could find you.” She elbows me gently, “I mean, it was romantic in a weird way.” Jess is serious, she hasn’t sung once and her voice is bleeding honesty.

“You really liked that?” I now turn to her.

“I would’ve liked it a lot more if you didn’t bolt like a bat out of hell afterwards.” I feel her rubbing the back of my hand with her thumb.

I swallow hard and rub my hand over my eyes as I process this all, “Jess… I-...” I shake my head.

“Yes, Nick?” She leans against me slightly. She looks cold.

I let go of her hand and take my jacket off, drapingselect it over her shoulders, “Jess, you know I’m not good with all that feelings crap but I just… I really like ya’... I like ya’ a whole lot, Jess.” I admit and I feel her smile against me, pulling my jacket around her more.

“I like you too, Miller.” She grabs my hand again and squeezes it.

“Good, I was scared for a second that I was gonna sound like a complete idiot.” I laugh in full relief and so does Jess. We laugh together for a long time.

“Hey, Nick.” She finally says once we had calmed down and had been sitting in comfortable silence for a bit.

“Yeah?” I turn to look at her and her hand lands on my cheek like it had been all day and she kisses me this time.

I liked this better than playing drunk and getting drunk. I didn’t need it if I had her mouth on mine.

“I wish I could kiss you forever.” I mumble against her lips.

“No objections here.” Her hand rubs my face lightly.

“Good.”

And we kissed in the parking lot until the sun came up.

 


End file.
